


Let's Hang Out Sometime

by watcherofworlds



Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Episode: s01e23 Sacrifice, Gen, Prompt Fill, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26819986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watcherofworlds/pseuds/watcherofworlds
Summary: Prompt fill for Whumptober 2020 Day 1 "Let's Hang Out Sometime"
Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956160
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Let's Hang Out Sometime

Oliver was woken by a bucket of ice cold water being thrown in his face. In the semi darkness, he couldn't see who had thrown the water at him, and heard only faint footsteps as whoever it was retreated from the room. Blowing out several heaving breaths to try and ward off the chill from the water, he twisted himself around, trying to gauge his surroundings. He was in a warehouse of some kind, long since abandoned and left to fall to ruin, dimly lit by the few lights that were still working, which flickered weakly on and off. He was suspended by his wrists from the ceiling, hanging from chains just long enough so that his toes skimmed the floor, pushing out wakes in the inch or so of water that covered it. Someone, probably Malcolm, had removed his jacket and hood, letting the cold, damp air bite at him, raising goosebumps on his exposed skin.

_ So it's torture, then _ , Oliver thought grimly, and braced himself for pain. 

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind then Malcolm Merlyn entered the room, coming to a halt just out of what little reach Oliver still had with his arms chained above his head.

"I hope I didn't hurt you," he said, calm, measured, solemn, sounding just like the person he had always been, with no hint of the monster that Oliver now knew lurked inside of him. "At least I can properly thank you now for saving my life." Circling around behind Oliver, he went on, "If I only knew how you were spending your nights." Coming back into view again, he added, "My hope is that I can explain everything to you, to help you understand."

“You murdered my father!” Oliver shouted, his voice echoing sharply off the walls. “You sentenced me to that island, to five years of hell!” For the last five years, he had believed that the events that had left him shipwrecked on Lian Yu had been random chance, a sick twist of fate, but now that he knew the truth, all of the anger that he’d felt toward the universe, or destiny, or what have you, for putting him through hell was directed at Malcolm.

“I am truly sorry for what happened to you,” Malcolm said, apparently unfazed by Oliver’s outburst. He continued to pace in a circuit around him, circling him like a shark that had scented blood. “You know, I have lost people.”

“Yeah, your wife?” Oliver asked. “Do you  _ really _ think that you’re honoring  _ Tommy’s mother _ by destroying the Glades?”

“As surely as you believe you’re honoring your father by wearing this hood,” Malcolm replied, holding it out to him tauntingly. “Not a day goes by that I don’t miss your father.”

“You’ll see him soon,” Oliver promised him, his pent-up rage choking him, turning his voice to a hoarse whisper.

“You can’t beat me, Oliver,” Malcolm replied, unimpressed, stepping closer until he was almost right in front of him. “Yes, you’re younger, and you’re faster, yet you always seem to come up short against me. Do you want to know why? It’s because you don’t know, in your heart, what you’re fighting for, what you’re willing to sacrifice, and I do.” Oliver listened to him monologue in stone faced silence, noting the way that, the more he spoke, the more his words sounded like the crazed ramblings of a mad man. Until this moment, he hadn’t truly known how far gone Malcolm was.

“No one can stop what’s about to come,” Malcolm said, heading out of the room. Right as he was about to leave, he stopped, held out Oliver’s hood, and added, “Not even the vigilante” before throwing it scornfully and unceremoniously on the ground. The moment he was gone, Oliver set his mind to planning an escape. Somehow, he had to get out of here. The Undertaking had to be stopped.


End file.
